Saudi Gazette RIYADH — A Palliative Care Center, with state-of-the-art facilities, will be established in Hyderabad by the Indian community in Saudi Arabia. To create awareness and educate the community about palliative care, Al-Ryan International Medical Group Jeddah organized a seminar. Anas Vadakkengara presented power point presentation about palliative care and highlighting palliative is a social issue. He said the chronic disease with steady decline of health and acute crisis in between is very different from acute disease with brief ill health. Palliative care is all about adding life of years. Chronically and incurable ailment problems of patients with advanced diseases like physical problem, emotional problem and spiritual problem will be tackled in palliative care. Al- Ryan International Medical Group Jeddah CEO Shuhaib Thazathe stressed the necessity to have more centers in other parts of India. He assured that Al-Ryan group is always ready to help with humanitarian work. Palliative Care Centers need a team of doctor, nurse, social worker and palliative care specialist. Bazme Osmania President Arif Qureshi and Khak-e-Taiba Trust (KTT) President Abdul Hakeem offered to donate assets that can be used for the Palliative Care Center. Syed Moazam Ali, managing director, Al Wafaq Al Shaheqa Group and Mohammed Muzzafaruddin from Riyadh shared their experiences about how charity is useful for human lives. Ali said that he is always ready to help in this project. Aijaz Ahmed Khan appraised all about the importance of youth associating in this noble cause and willing to support in any aspect this project. Abdul Jabbar expressed the hope that such center at district levels should be explored and was ready to support this cause, while Shameem Kausar too spoke on this issue and expressed his readiness to support health care issues. Mohammed Rafeeq, CEO of Mumtaz Group of companies, conveyed the message that he appreciated the efforts of the Pain and Palliative care team and was willing to support this project. Mir Mahmood Ali, business development manager, Al-Ryan Medical Group Jeddah welcomed the guests and briefly highlighted the necessity and objectives of establishing a Palliative Care Center in Hyderabad. He added that it is the necessity of time to organize such seminars in Riyadh, Dammam and other cities of Saudi Arabia. A team led by Mirza Qudrath Nawaz Baig along with Dr. Suresh, Anas Vadakkengara, Syed Abdul Azeezul Hasan and others will visit Hyderabad and work out the modalities to establish this noble center for first time in the city. Mirza Qudrath Nawaz Baig conducted the proceedings and highlighted the importance of this noble services and stressed its importance with a real life example. "Kumaran (52) — a paraplegic patient — living in a Kerala village of Kerala was from very poor family as each one of them had to work hard to get their daily bread. When he was 15, he slipped from a coconut palm and the injury left him a paraplegic. His life was restricted to the four walls of his room. A life in isolation, even without a wheel chair for years, for more than three decades. "Now he is self driven and self earning person with the help of palliative care support and thanks to the people who willingly supported this project," he said. They did not attend this session due to personal commitments and are : Syed Azeezul Hasan, Dr. Syed Ali Mehmood, Syed Khaja Viqaruddin, Mohammed Shahbaz Farooqui, Mir Arif Ali and large number of community members from across the globe. Palliative care is specialized medical care for people with serious illnesses. It focuses on providing patients with relief from the symptoms and stress of a serious illness with aim of improving quality of life of the patient and family. This care is provided by specially-trained team of doctors, nurses and other specialists who work together with a patient's other doctors to provide an extra layer of support. It is appropriate at any age and at any stage in a serious illness and can be provided along with curative treatment. It focuses on symptoms such as pain, shortness of breath, fatigue, constipation, nausea, loss of appetite, difficulty sleeping and depression. It helps patient gain the strength to carry on with daily life. It improves patient's ability to tolerate medical treatments and helps to have more control by improving understanding of treatments. People suffering from serious and chronic illnesses such as cancer, cardiac diseases, congestive heart failure (CHF), Alzheimer's Parkinson's, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and others can be provided, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) kidney failure, can be provided palliative care. Palliative care centers are established in 193 countries. The first center in India was established in Kerala in 1993. The proposed center in Hyderabad will be the second in India. Earlier Ameen Ansari recited verses from the Holy Qur'an and Deccani Naat to start the proceedings. The seminar was followed by cultural program in which Syed Abdul Rafay entertained the guests with melodious numbers.
